Genoa's Ponte Morandi Bridge Collapses, Killing 22

An entire section of Genoa's Ponte Morandi bridge—an elevated stretch connecting Italy's A7 and A10 highways to bind the north to the Italian Riviera—collapsed on Tuesday, sending cars crashing hundreds of feet down and killing 22, according to Italian news agency ANSA. The death toll may continue to rise, though at least four survivors have been pulled from the wreckage, says ANSA.

The collapse happened around noon local time, reports NPR, during a "violent rainstorm," when "one of the bridge's central pillars collapsed," possibly following a lightning strike, according to witnesses. The Ponte Morandi bridge is already a scary drive on a good day, with traffic coming in hard and fast through a viaduct, rising some 300 feet above a railway line, a riverbed, and an industrial portion of the port city of Genoa. It's also an essential artery connecting northern cities like Milan and Turin with Liguria, the region that's home to the Cinque Terre, Portofino, and other popular destinations on the Italian Riviera, and that borders France on the west.

Trains service around Genoa had been halted shortly following the crash, reports Reuters, but ItaliaRail is currently taking bookings for trips out of Genoa to Milan.

This is a developing story. We'll continue to update as we learn more.